History
The sewage pumping station was built at the end of the 19th century as part of a major upgrading of Shrewsbury's sewerage system. Two massive steam-driven beam engines were built by Renshaw's of Stoke-on-Trent during 1897-1898; and a brick building, resembling a Victorian chapel in style, was constructed in 1900 to house them. The pumping station was opened by the mayoress of Shrewsbury in 1901.
The steam-powered pumps were used until 1970, when new electric pumps were brought in to use.
The ownership of the pumping station, including the building, engines and grounds, was transferred to Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council in 1974. It is now a museum run by Shrewsbury Museum Services.
Read more about this topic: Coleham Pumping Station
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“The history of work has been, in part, the history of the worker’s body. Production depended on what the body could accomplish with strength and skill. Techniques that improve output have been driven by a general desire to decrease the pain of labor as well as by employers’ intentions to escape dependency upon that knowledge which only the sentient laboring body could provide.”
—Shoshana Zuboff (b. 1951)
“The history is always the same the product is always different and the history interests more than the product. More, that is, more. Yes. But if the product was not different the history which is the same would not be more interesting.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)
“The whole history of civilisation is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)